Looking for cool neutral.. and failing!

funkyartNovember 14, 2012

I tried paint samples in the main living area of my new house today-- was certain one of the 4 I tried would be perfect after checking sample cards and looking at so many photos online. I didnt care for any of them!

The tavern taupe I love in my current house looked far too yellow tan in the new one.

Austere Gray was the best of the bunch but just not enough color or "wow" factor.

Comfort Gray was also too pale and read very blue

Ancient Marble disappeared into blah

I think I need to go up a step on the paint strips and look for something with a little more color. I thought I was ok with a blue green gray but they I didnt like how the comfort gray went so blue. Maybe I need one with a touch of gold?

I had meant to test SW grassland too but missed that on my sample list. I think I may go up a step and try svelte sage.. but what I see in my minds eye isnt a sage. It's a chameleon gray/taupe that leans green.

I know there have been many posts on gray greens on here.. but my search isnt finding near as many as I know exist. Arggh.

I dont need to stick to SW.. however, there isnt a BM store local. Do I need to drop a few bucks and look at F&B or EK? I don't want an in your face color.. but I want rich depth.

I've dabbled with the idea of a gold too-- but I absolutely don't want anything that's sunny bright and cheery -- it's so not my personality lol.

Would love any direction or photos you will share. I am frustrated and not eager to go buy more paint samples that will fail.

On my family room walls where Comfort Gray looked blue, Gray Mirage and Coastal Fog both looked very nice. I think they are both considered grays with green undertone. They're both BM but I have recently had SW match BM colors without a problem, they were in their computer.

I checked out numerous photos of each of the colors suggested.. I really like the gray mirage but it looks like it may be too gold for the oak floors/blonde brick on fireplace. I think I'll try it out though.

I may be looking for more color than I thought. Others that I am liking online lean very much to the green:
Benjamin Moore october mist..
Ellen Kennon's ashen green..

I realize too.. I screwed up in a big way. I painted the samples on top of blue paint. I remember Funcolors saying to surround the samples with white.

I guess I try them all again--on white-- before thinking I have the wrong color. Smacking head.

Why is it that I find more posts/photos on here with google than the GW search??

Love the mega griege and seal gray but I think they are too dark for my space. I have low ceilings and the same color will need to go down a dark hallway. I won't be painting the ceiling-- but they have a swirl design (!).

I am losing patience but I really need to change the color before I move in. I am going to do a few things today:

Sorry, Yaya.. I forgot to thank you and let you know that I'd checked it out. It's a great gray-taupe.. but I really want and need some color in the undertones. Until I start replacing furniture, the room will be all brown leather, woods tones and beige brick.

I really tend to the cool colors.. love warm wood tones and colors but it's the cool colors that feel calm and comfortable to me! I am hoping to do that with paint and a new rug (crossing fingers on the rug.. it's not really in the budget!).

lazydaisynot.. I have always loved silver sage but I think of it as a BR/Bath color. I thought I didnt want that much color-- but since the colors that lean more neutral werent sparking me, it's worth a try.

I'll check out photos of abington putty too. I am sure that SW or Behr can mix them if that's the direction I decide to go.

Funky, I know what you mean about silver sage being a bedroom and bath color, but I'm pretty sure that when RH first opened its stores were all painted in SS, including the living room display areas. It's a pretty popular kitchen color, too. I don't know what your color scheme is, but I can imagine it in living areas particularly with dark brown, wood tones, and perhaps some caramel, butterscotch, russet; or leaf or yellow-greens.

Right.. I do know it's a bit of my own bias. Because my decor will change as I replace items (as budget allows), I am looking more for the colors that suit me and make me happy-- silver sage is definitely one of those! I adore all in that color and it works well with the other colors I love. I will definitely try it out-- but I am going to slow down and prime the wall first so that I can really see the colors.

My mom was over at the house yesterday and said the same thing I already knew-- you can't see my test colors for what they are because I put them over the horrid blue. I knew that but i was trying to cut corners. See where it got me??

I hope you'll look at Glidden's Polished Limestone - one of those chameleon colors that goes gray/green/blue depending on the light. It comes from the YY family on the master palette, so it's yellow green in origin. I think it's a lot like Silver Sage, but just a touch lighter/more neutral. It looks gorgeous with my silver sage linen bedding.